Trash burner



Feb; 3, 1959 M. E. WESP 2,871,803

TRASH BURNER Filed Oct. 27, 1953 IN VEN TOR.

AT T ORA/E Y5 2,871,803 Patented Feb. 3, 1959 TRASH BURNER Milford E. Wesp, Clarence, N. Y. Application October 27,1953, Serial No. 388,625

4 Claims. (Cl. 110-18) The present application is concerned with trash or rubbish burners and particularly relates to an attachment adapted for use with metal receptacles such as ash cans, garbage cans, and the like which will insure complete and safe combustion of trash or rubbish contained within such receptacles.

It is an object of the invention to provide a trash burner which will insure that trash therein is burned completely even though no holes or draft openings are provided in base or sides of the receptacle.

Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment of the character described which is adapted to be supported on the tops of containers of varying diameters.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a burner attachment of the character described that has means therein to prevent the escape of burning embers or pieces of trash.

Another object of the invention is to provide a trash burner of simple, light .construction which may be easily carried from place to place.

A further object of the invention is to provide a safe, eflicient trash burner which is convenient to use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment of the character described which is durably and strongly constructed and which will have a long, useful life.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an attachment of the character described which may be shipped in knocked-down form, but may be easily assembled by the use of a few bolts and screws and without special tools.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a vertical, sectional view showing the burner attachment of the present invention in position for use on the top rim of an ash can;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevational' view of the burner attachment of the present invention taken at an angle of 90 degrees from the view of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse, sectional view taken on the line 33 ofFigure 1;

Figure 4 is a transverse, sectional View taken on line 44 of Figure 1 showing the spark-arresting screen and the manner of securing the wind deflector at the top of the attachment; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the several parts of the attachment of the present invention in disassembled form.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings the burner attachment comprises a frustoconical hood or cover generally designated by the reference character 11, a spark-arresting screen 12, and a wind deflector 13. As shown, the novel burner attachment rests on the upper rim of a metal bushel or ash can 14 of common type, the two together constituting a trash burner. The screen 12 is preferably formed of wire mesh or metal cloth while both the hood and deflector are preferablyconstructed of sheet metal such as galvanized iron.

' The frusto-conical hood 11 comprises a plurality of substantially identical sections 16 which are detachably connected at their adjacent edges. Each of the sections 16 is formed from a trapezoidal shaped piece of sheet metal by curving the piece at right angles to its parallel edges and turning or bending the non-parallel edges inwardly to form side flanges 17. A plurality of spaced holes 18 are provided in each of the flanges 17, said holes being in predetermined positions so arranged that when the hood sections 16 are assembled the holes in the adjacent side flanges of the several sections are in registry and are adapted to receive bolts 21. To stiffen the hood 11 around its bottom periphery each of the sections 16 is provided, adjacent and substantially parallel to its lower edge, with one or more ribs 23. These ribs may conveniently be formed in the sections by pressing. A series of notches 24 is provided in the edge of each of the flanges 17 near and substantially identically spaced from the lower ends thereof. The notches 24 engage the top rim of the container 14 thereby ensuring that the hood 11 remains in an upright position. At the same time the base of the hood is held in close outwardly spaced relation from and below the rim of the can 14 by the flanges 17 and a narrow annular vertical extending space 26 is'thus provided between the rim of the can and the hood for admission of air.

Adjacent the smaller, upper end of the hood 11 the flanges 17 are cut away, as shown at 27, to form rests for the screen 12. The latter is preferably circular and of such diameter as to beheld in the hood after the hood is assembled. As previously mentioned, the screen is preferably formed of wire mesh, the mesh size of which preferably is comparatively large in order to minimize interference with the draft through the hood, while at the same time it is sufficiently small as to prevent the escape of large particles of burning paper, leaves or the like. In general mesh openings about /2 inch square are satisfactory.

The wind deflector 13 which is detachably, mounted in the upper, smaller end of the hood 11 is generally semicircular in cross section. It is formed with a relatively wide central portion 29 from each end of which there extends a narrow portion or tab 31. As best shown in Figure 1, one of the tabs 31 is bent inwardly to form a flange 32 which may bear on the tops 27 of one pair of the hood flanges 17 to support one side of the deflector. The other tab 31 of the deflector is provided with a hole 34 which may be brought into registry with a hole 36 provided in the adjacent section 16. A screw 37 may be used to hold the tab in place.

The operation of the novel burnerattachment of the present invention is extremely simple since there are no drafts or dampers to adjust or set. In using the attachment of the present invention the trash or rubbish contained in an ordinary can, such as the can 14 in Figure 1, is ignited and the hood 11 is placed, as shown in Figure l, in upright position on the top of the can with the rim of the latter engaging in the aligned notches 24 of the flanges 17. Combustion of the trash in the can then continues until it is completely burned, no stirring of the can contents being required. While the reason for this is not certain, it is believed that the action is substantially as follows:

Air may enter the hood through the annular space 26 between the hood and the rim of the can and pass upwardly through the hood and the screen 12 as shown by the arrows A. The annular ring or stream of air thus produced around the edge of the can draws along with it air, smoke, and combustion gases from the interior of the can, as shown by the arrows B. Such gases and air are replaced by air drawn into the can from the interior of the hood as indicated by the arrows C. Air

is thus continually supplied to the rubbish in the container and the rubbish may be completely burned without having to resort to punching or boring holes in the container in order to obtain suflicient air for complete combustion.

The convenience of the burner attachment of the present invention is enhanced by the provision of the notches 24 that make it easy properly to support the hood 11 on containers of different diameters and by the handle 39 which is attached to one of the sections 16 by bolts 41. As will be seen from Figure 5, the bolts 41 are preferably relatively long so that they may serve to support the hood on the edge of a can or container in which rubbish is being placed for burning.

The simplicity of the construction of the burner attachment of the invention is evidenced by the way in which it may be shipped in knocked-down form. From Figure 5 it is evident that the several sections 16 from which the hood is formed may be nested and the deflector 13 may be furnished as a flat strip which may be easily bent to shape as the attachment is assembled. For convenience in assembly, each of the sections 16 will be provided with a hole 36 for attachment of the deflector 13 and each tab 31 of the deflector will be provided with a hole 34 for cooperation with one of the holes 36. Thus, either. tab of the deflector may be bent to form the flange 32 and the other tab may be attached by the screw 37 to any of the sections 16.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the trash burner of the present invention is safe and eflicient. Moreover since no stirring of the can contents is required and there are no dampers to be adjusted the operation of the burner is convenient. Since the parts of the burner attachment are small they may be given a galvanizing dip or other rust proofing treatment after forming and thus the inherent durability of the attachment may be enhanced. The burner attachment is light and easily handled and may be sold separately or as a unit with a canor container. An important feature of the invention, as mentionedabove, is that no draft or air holes are required in the sides or base'of the can or container, thus no special can need be used and there is no necessity for spoiling a can for other-use.

I claim:

1. In a device adapted for use in burning trash and the like. having a container with imperforate' sides and base and having an open top; the combination therewith of means providing complete and safe combustion of trash within said container, comprisingan open ended tubular sheet metal hood of generally frusto-conical form thereby to have a large open end .and-a small open end and said hood being adapted to be supported in an upright position on the top rim of said-container, said hood comprising a plurality of arcuate sections joined at their edges and having a plurality of internal integral flanges adapted to engage said rim and space the large end of said hood outwardly in closely spaced relation to and below said rim of said container around the periphery of said container, thereby to provide a narrow annular vertical air passage between said rim of said container and said large open end of said hood, and a spark-arresting screen across said small open end of said hood, the chamber defined by said container, hood and screen being a single unobstructed chamber through which the air and products of combustion can move in all directions above the burning trash placed in said container.

2. In a device adapted for use in burning trash and the like having a container with imperforate sides and base and having an open top; the combination therewith of means providing complete and. safe combustion of trash within said container, comprising an open ended tubular sheet metal hood of generally frusto-conical form thereby to have a large open end and a small open end and said hood being adapted to be supported in an upright position on the top rim of said container, said hood comprising a plurality of arcuate sections, each of said sections having an integral flange along each side edge thereof, said flanges being directed inwardly of said hood and said sections being joined together by said flanges, said flanges being adapted to engage said rim and space the large end of said hood outwardly from and below said rim of said container around the periphery of said container, thereby to provide an annular air passage between said rim of said container and said large open end of said hood, a spark-arresting screen Within said hood, and a wind deflector carried by said hood.

3. In a device adapted for use in burning trash and the like having a container with imperforate sides and base and having an open top, the combination therewith of means providing complete and safe combustion of trash within said container, comprising an open ended tubular sheet metal hood of generally frusto-conical form thereby to have a large open end and a small open end, and said hood being adapted to be supported in an upright position on the top rim of said container, said hood comprising a plurality of arcuate sections joined at their edges and having a plurality of internal flanges adapted to engage said rim and space the large open endof said hood outwardly from said rim of said container around the periphery of said container, thereby to provide an annular air passage between said rim of said container and said large open end of said hood, said internal flanges terminating short of the opening forming said small end of said hood, a circular spark arresting screen of larger size than said opening trapped between the adjacent ends of said flanges and the rim of said hood forming said small open end, a wind deflecting strip of metal arching outwardly from said last opening, a hook formed at one end of said strip and interposed between said hood and the margin of said screen, and means fastening the opposite end of said strip to the opposite side of said hood.

4. In a device adapted for use in burning trash and the like having a container with imperforate sides and base and having an open top, the combination therewith of means providing complete and safe combustion of trash within said container, comprising an open ended tubular sheet metal hood' of generally frusto-conical form thereby to have a large open end and a small open end, and said hood being adapted to be supported in an upright position on the top rim of said container, said hood comprising a plurality of arcuate sections, each of said sections having an integral flange along each side edge thereof, said flanges being directed inwardly of said hood and said sections being joined together by said flanges, said flanges being adapted to engage said rim and space the large end of said hood outwardly from and below said rim of said container around the periphery of said container, thereby to provide an annular air passage between said rim of said container and said large open end of said hood, and a sparkarresting screen across said small open end of said hood.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 73,280 Anderson Jan. 14, 1868 115,339 Miller May 30, 1871 320,794 Kayser June 23, 1885 915,871 Merrill Mar. 23, 1909 1,010,461 Smith Dec. 5, 1911 1,339,729 Walsh May 11, 1920 1,377,694 Koehler May 10, 1921 1,435,297 Heimbach Nov. 14, 1922 1,487,651 Fuller Mar. 18, 1924 1,880,142 Klingbeil Sept. 27, 1932 1,891,069 Suciu Dec. 13, 1932 2,271,828 Peacock Feb. 3, 1942 2,370,116 Anderson Feb. 27, 1945 

